This family comes from Wexford, Ireland near Carleybridge and moves to Elizabethtown (Brockville) where one of my family members Colonel Bartholomew Carley, was one of the early pioneers of that town.
THE JOSEPH CARLEY FAMILY
Joseph Carley
Born: 23 April 1772 in Cornwall, Co. Wexford, Ireland
Died: 5 April 1865 near Lyndhurst, Ontario
Occupation: Shipwright
Religion: Anglican
Elizabeth Free
Born: 12 February 1779 in County Wicklow, Ireland
Died: 9 May 1870 Near Lyndhurst, Ontario
Buried in the graveyard of the Church of St. John the Evangelist, New Dublin, Ontario (formerly Christ Church, Lamb's Pond).
Note: The name "Free" is the name given on a marriage license issued in 1802 in the Parish of Killurin. Unfortunately, no family record discovered to date includes the family name of Joseph's wife.
Children:
Leonard 3 October 1802 - January 1852
William 13 October 1804 - 13 February 1854
Martha 16 November 1806 - 4 December 1874
Anne 23 December 1808 7 - May 1873
Mary 7 May 1811 8 - June 1811
John 29 September 1812 - 25 October 1843
Elizabeth 15 August - 1815 1879
Thomas 3 September - 1818 5 November 1897
Joseph 28 August 1821 - 31 July 1902
Walter 23 April 1824 - 1905
Ruth 24 March 1827 - 25 November 1890
Joseph, his wife Elizabeth and children Leonard, William, Martha and John are buried in New Dublin
IRISH BACKGROUND
The Village of Cornwall is situated below Enniscorthy and about 12 miles n.w. of Wexford, an ancient town on the Irish sea. The River Slaney enters Wexford County from the north and flows southward through Enniscorthy, at which point navigation is possible for barges of large size. In the times past the river offered opportunities for shipping and hence also for shipwrights.
Wexford County was one of the earliest English settlements in Ireland. In the time of James I (about 1603) a system of "plantations" was set up to quell the rebellious Irish. Protestants loyal to the Crown and the Church of England were sent to live among the native Catholic population.
Edward MacLysagnt in The Surnames of Ireland states that "Carley is an English name long established in County Wexford". He adds that there is a place named "Carleysbridge" in that county. The Gaelic equivalents for (Mac)Carley are: MacFhearghaille, MacCarrelly, MacCarley, MacKearly, MacErrelly, MacKyrrelly, MacErril, MacKerlie, Carrolly, Carley, Kerley, Kirley.
There was a lengthy period during which the Anglo-Irish minority lived at peace with their neighbors. The Chronicles of Enniscorthy record that on June 24, 1768, George Carly was made a freeman of the town. This allowed him such privileges as operating a business, voting and paying taxes. No family connection with George Carly is known but it may be assumed that other members of the Carley family met with similar success in the same period.
In the 1790's Napoleon occupied England's attention and the Irish tried a new revolt. Wexford men went out to do battle. Napoleon promised to send them help but a storm at sea forced him to recall his ships. The rebellion culminated in the Battle of Vinegar Hill in 1798. Skirmishes continued and in a few weeks 30,000 had been killed. What began as a political battle of Irish against English ended in a series of confused encounters between Irish Catholic and Protestant.
It is against this background that one must see the marriage of Joseph Carley and Elizabeth Free* in 1802. At the time of his marriage Joseph was 30 years old. He could hardly have escaped the effects of the turmoil around him. Service in the militia was compulsory. There is a story told by the family of Joseph Leonard b. 1833 that "the Carley's house was burned down and they had to hide in the fields".
In 1821 there was a serious famine in southern Ireland, as bad as those to come in the 1840's. Emigration from Wexford County increased rapidly. Many of the emigrants headed for Canada and especially the area near Brockville, Ontario.
EMIGRATION TO NEW DUBLIN
The First Ontario land record for Joseph b. 1772 is dated 1831. A story persists, however, that the family, or some of them, emigrated before that date. Foster Carley says his father told him that they came over when his grandfather was two years old, i.e. 1823. There are no written records (as far as is known) that can be used to verify this. It is, however, possible that the older sons, Leonard and William, came to Canada with other emigrants from Wexford to explore the land and prepare the way for the family.
The Carleys emigrated before the cholera epidemic of 1832 and were spared the horrors of that experience. A story persists that they came in their own boat. There is usually some truth in such family "legends" and the story cannot be dismissed out of hand. It is not likely that they owned a ocean-going vessel, although they might have had some influence with a captain or owner in Ireland. On landing at Quebec they would probably change to a smaller boat. At Montreal they would be obliged to change because of the Lachine rapids. If they had built barges on the Slaney, the prospect of building their own boat for use on the St. Lawrence would not daunt them. There were over 58,000 emigrants to Canada in 1831; some of them would have to wait a considerable time for transportation upriver. The Carleys could have built a "batteau" large enough for their own family group and had it hauled up by steamer or other means. All of this is speculative, of course, and impossible at this date to verify.
They sailed from Cork, probably in the spring of 1831, and their first purchase of land was in Elizabethtown Township where many families from Wexford chose to settle.
LIFE IN ELIZABETHTOWN
The Carley farm was situated about six miles north-west of Brockville at a site known today as Glen Buell. Two or three miles east on a connecting side road lies the settlement known as New Dublin.
Assessment records exist for Elizabethtown Township from the time of earliest settlement. In 1832 they show the following under the name Joseph Carley (owner's name only is given):
Lot 31, Concession 7
195 acres 20 cultivated
175 uncultivated
2 horses
2 oxen
3 milch cows
2 horned cattle
number in family: eleven
4 males over 16 (Jos. Sr., Leonard, William, John)
3 males under 16 (Thomas, Jos. Jr., Walter)
2 females over 16 (Elizabeth Sr., Anne)
2 females under 16 (Elizabeth Jr., Ruth)
The column showing type of house is not filled in. Tax on an assessment of 88 pounds: 4 pounds, 10 1/2 pence. Neighbors in the area include Henry Berry, John Green, John Simmons, Rice Free, Reuben Mott. An article in Ontario History (December, 1971) describes settlers in nearby concessions as being members of the Irish Yeomanry who fought on the Loyalist side in 1798 and received grants of land in Elizabethtown in return.
In 1833 Joseph purchased the rear of Lot 16/4 (80 acres) and his assessment rose to 110 pounds. In 1836 he added Lot 30/8 (20 acres) and Lot 29/6 (50 acres). In 1839 he sold the 80 acres in Concession to Henry Berry. At the same time he was purchasing land for his sons and giving gold as dowry to his daughters.
The number of animals varies from year to year and the total in family diminishes as marriages take place. By 1845 the total in family is five. The 50 acres in Concession 6 were sold in that year. A wagon appears on the list for 1847 and a "wagon kept for pleasure" in 1850. In the final year (1851) assessment is 140 pounds, 8s. The family was still not rich (compare assessment Reuben Earl 365 pounds). But the property in Concession 8 and the "home" farm in Concession 7 were sold for more than 600 pounds. They were not poor either.
In 1852 Joseph and Elizabeth moved to Leeds Township and finished out their days at the homes of their daughters Anne and Elizabeth. They attained the age of 93 and 91 years, respectively.
